Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 29

Śeṣoditya-Sūrya-nyāsa, Soma-sādhana, Graha-pūjā, and Bhauma-vrata-vidhi

Devanagari script

साक्षिणं जगतां तस्यामावाह्य विधिवद्यजेत् । ततः षडंगामाराध्य द्विक्ष्वष्टांगं प्रपूजयेत् ॥ २९ ॥

Transliteration

sākṣiṇaṃ jagatāṃ tasyāmāvāhya vidhivadyajet | tataḥ ṣaḍaṃgāmārādhya dvikṣvaṣṭāṃgaṃ prapūjayet || 29 ||

Translation

Nachdem man in jenes (Altar/Diagramm) den Zeugen der Welten herbeigerufen hat, soll man Ihn nach rechter Vorschrift verehren. Danach, nachdem man ehrfürchtig das sechsgliedrige Ritual (ṣaḍaṅga) vollzogen hat, verehre man ordnungsgemäß die achtgliedrige (aṣṭāṅga) Gestalt an den zwei Stellen bzw. in den zwei Anordnungen.

Word by Word

• sākṣiṇam: the witness
• sākṣiṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sākṣin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• jagatām: of the worlds/beings
• jagatām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• tasyām: in that (form/seat)
• tasyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• āvāhya: having invoked
• āvāhya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√vah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive) अव्यय; ‘having invoked/brought near’

• vidhi-vat: according to the prescribed rite
• vidhi-vat: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); प्रकारवाचक—‘according to rule’

• yajet: should worship/sacrifice
• yajet: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yaj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb) क्रमवाचक—‘thereafter/then’

• ṣaṭ-aṅgām: the sixfold (six-limbed)
• ṣaṭ-aṅgām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; द्विगुसमासः (षडङ्गा = ‘six-limbed’, i.e., six auxiliaries)

• ārādhya: having propitiated
• ārādhya: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā√radh (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund) अव्यय; ‘having propitiated’

• dvi-kṣu-aṣṭa-aṅgam: the eightfold (in the two sets of directions)
• dvi-kṣu-aṣṭa-aṅgam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvi (संख्या) + kṣu (प्रातिपदिक, ‘directions/quarters’ as in kṣu/क्षु) + aṣṭa (संख्या) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (द्विक्षु अष्टाङ्गम् = ‘eight-limbed in the two sets of quarters’/‘in both (sets of) directions’)

• prapūjayet: should worship fully
• prapūjayet: Kriya (क्रिया/Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√pūj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Nārada (teaching in dialogue with Sanatkumāra tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Sākṣin (Supreme Witness, implicitly Viṣṇu/Nārāyaṇa)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It centers worship on the Supreme as the inner Witness of all worlds, teaching that correct invocation (āvāhana) and disciplined procedure (vidhi) make the ritual a direct act of devotion rather than mere formality.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti here is expressed as attentive, rule-guided worship—invoking the Lord, honoring Him with aṅga-based rites, and completing the pūjā with fullness (prapūjā), showing devotion through precision and reverence.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

It reflects Vedaṅga-style ritual method: structured aṅga-prayoga (six-limbed and eight-limbed components), consistent with technical disciplines used to apply mantra and rite correctly (prayoga/kalpa-oriented practice).